Several different approaches for weakening, breaking or removing ice cover on a river have been tested or adopted in the field of ice jam reduction and prevention. One such approach is the use of mechanical cutting machines to cut lines or patterns into the surface ice on a frozen-over river to encourage the large body of surface ice to break up into smaller pieces than would otherwise naturally occur during spring breakup.
Chain type trenching machines, conventionally designed and used to dig trenches or ditches in the earth for laying and subsequent burying of cable or pipe, come in varying sizes and styles including small walk-behind units, self-propelled ride-on units and attachment units designed for mounting on existing work machines for operation by the power take-off systems thereof. These machines each feature a swingable boom having a tooth or blade equipped chain extended around its periphery and entrained about drive and idler sprockets at opposite ends of the boom so that the chain and the teeth or blades projecting outward therefrom are driven about the boom. The boom is pivotal about its drive end so that the opposite distal end can be lowered and raised into and out of engagement with a surface on which the machine is supported to facilitate cutting or digging thereinto.
It is known to use a chain trencher to cut partially through the ice surface of a frozen-over river at a time sufficiently in advance of the expected breakup period to allow safe use of the trenching machinery atop the frozen surface of the river while promoting the creation of smaller ice pieces when breakup occurs so as to reduce the likelihood of an ice jam. However, as trenchers are conventionally designed for use as earth digging machines intended for use in soil and other ground materials, the performance of conventional trenching teeth in ice cutting applications may leave room for improvement.
Therefore, there is a desire for a trenching tooth improved for use in an ice-cutting context.